Z-25 by RGL - FINISHED - Trumpeter - 1/350 - PLASTIC - German destroyer April 1945

[RGL]

I’m going to double stack builds here as I think I’ll have a bit of a wait in the upgrades from NZ. Again a kit I found cheap on E-Bay, I got quite a few extras from around the world. I wanted to do the fit out for April 1945, where the remainder of the Kriegsmarine was used to evacuate citizens from the Soviet army. The Flyhawk upgrade allows for a 1944 or final fit out. 

 

The final fit out allows me to beat it up as it would have been almost worn out. 

 

As usual the Flyhawk PE is just outstanding but I’ve gotten some 3D printed twin flack guns, and some newly released sea mines too. 

[RGL]

The Flyhawk Pe. As you can see it pretty much replaces the deck for which I purchased a nifty little chisel to get rid of the details that require deleting 

[Old Collingwood]

"Bling Heaven"    going to be sweet mate.

 

OC.

[Canute]

Cool, a Zerstorer. I'm in. One of the survivors.

[Landlubber Mike]

This will be another stunner - great subject and lots of goodies there!

 

Does the Flyhawk PE deck give you a lot more detail?  I noticed in a bunch of my 1/700 kits and their aftermarket, Flyhawk includes deck replacements.  I looked at one of my kits, and the PE looked pretty much exactly like the kit deck.  I wasn't sure if there was a particular reason to do that?  Maybe to ease the painting task?  Maybe for stability?

[popeye the sailor]

gonna be a cool project Greg  

[lmagna]

Is this going to be German ship #4?

Edited March 2, 2021 by lmagna

[wemattson]

This is going to be so cool!

[RGL]

On 3/3/2021 at 8:44 AM, lmagna said:

Is this going to be German ship #4?

Yes mate, Emden, Seydlitz, Graf Zeppelin....

 

I have her 2 coats of rattle can primer, then I’ve etched in the weld lines (I’ve researched a lot and it’s really hard to find any photos of her Hull that have panel lines but zooming right in show them. I will give her another coat of primer then a red/brown undercoat that will be the base coat for chipping.  

[RGL]

On 3/3/2021 at 1:12 AM, Landlubber Mike said:

This will be another stunner - great subject and lots of goodies there!

 

Does the Flyhawk PE deck give you a lot more detail?  I noticed in a bunch of my 1/700 kits and their aftermarket, Flyhawk includes deck replacements.  I looked at one of my kits, and the PE looked pretty much exactly like the kit deck.  I wasn't sure if there was a particular reason to do that?  Maybe to ease the painting task?  Maybe for stability?

The deck detail is fantastic as it a metal deck and it’s done nicely 

[RGL]

I gave the etched in hull detail another layer of rattle can primer. Metal deck glued down which I’ll use airbrush primer as the detail is so fine. You can see how the CA brings up fingerprints so well . 

Edited March 8, 2021 by RGL

[RGL]

So courtesy of Gerhard Koop, some of the final photos of Z 25 before she became The French destroyer Hoche

[RGL]

First stack done, dryfitted so it can be punted properly later

[Landlubber Mike]

Wow, nice work Greg!  Those louvres must have been fun.

[RGL]

They are very well made and bend up very easily (luck for me) 

[GazzaS]

That is a great little detail set.   That deck is outstanding!

[RGL]

Bridge, there is a heap of detail to go but this lot will require painting first 

[lmagna]

Is there a formula you use to determine when it is time to quit gluing and start painting?

[RGL]

It’s all about ease of painting, if I can dry fit it so it fits properly before painting I will so it is off ship. It’s easier to paint and work on a small piece than sticking it all together then painting. You just can get enough detail that way (well I can’t). If I get all the superstructures done without gluing them to the deck it allows them to be added when painted and then production line for the fittings and weapons. 

[Egilman]

7 hours ago, lmagna said:

Is there a formula you use to determine when it is time to quit gluing and start painting?

Like Greg said Brother, there is no hard and fast rule, in general, you try to build in subassemblies, hull & maindecks, some painting needs to be done before assembly... Superstructures are assembled and painted in the same manner you add the details that don't get in the way of painting.... Overall assembly, add all the little details that make it pop.....

 

And all ship models are different.... that's part of the attraction is trying to figure out the best way to go about it.... It's definitely not a follow the numbers game like it was 40 years ago....

[popeye the sailor]

you move fast........lots of really nice progress,  and the PE is great   I hate to be the one to mention it though.. one of your louvers looks like it's closed.

[RGL]

Moving along, there is a big centre superstructure that will house or base most weapons etc, so this is just the base. So much more detail I need to add even to the bits I’ve done but I’ll need to do them separately. 

Edited March 13, 2021 by RGL

[lmagna]

I wonder what would happen if a company manufactured a kit that was mostly PE and already altered to accept large amounts of PE right out of the box. It would be costly but would it sell instead of buying an expensive model and aftermarket PE and combining them? This kit is looking more and more brass colored Greg.

[Landlubber Mike]

Some of the newer kits are now in resin or plastic with resin and PE added to the box so you don't have to go out and get aftermarket.  In 1/700 scale, companies like Niko, Rainbow and FiveStar are already doing that.  In 1/350, Snowman put out a kit of the IJN auxiliary seaplane tender Akitsushima with a resin hull and resin and PE in the box (wooden box of all things).  And Pontos not too long ago put out what I think is their first model kit - the Antarctic explorer Soya in 1/250 - which includes the plastic hull, wooden deck, PE and brass fittings, etc. all in the box.  

 

So rather than have to omit or remove plastic, the kits are designed from the beginning to take what is typically aftermarket but is included in the box.  A cool development, and my guess is that more will follow, especially as modelers are increasingly looking to aftermarket to improve their models.

 

I was just looking at a couple of my 1/700 Niko kits this morning.  Having gone through what I went through on my 1/700 destroyer build of replacing much of the kit plastic with PE, the Niko kits - which are very nice by the way - might almost feel like cheating in that there are considerably fewer pieces in the kit.  The hull is in one piece, the deck superstructures are cast in resin and just about complete, and many of the details like guns are cast in resin so need to fold PE into complicated shapes.  The PE fret is quite small and mostly limited to things like railings.  The Snowman Akitsushima is very much the same.

 

http://www.nikomodel.pl/index.php/en/resin-kits/ships-en/scale-1-700-en/item/asaka-maru

 

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Landlubber Mike

[Old Collingwood]

As Lou said  -  I could imagine  specialist companies doing resin or high quality platic  kits where they have certain sections with  pre attached PE, saving having to buy it seperatley,   imagine wafer thin plastic strengthened with PE  best of both worlds.

 

OC.

[RGL]

There is so much detail to go on this yet, this is now the main structures in dry fit 

[Old Collingwood]

Looking really impressive  as she is Greg, tell you what mate  over the years  you have become the "go to master"  at this scale  with  plastic/PE  ships  and its really great following what you do.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Greg, can I ask why you have a bottle of Tamiya lacquer thinner open in the last pictures?  Are you using it to remove excess CA?  If so, I hadn't considered that...the things you learn!

[RGL]

Thanks guys. 
 

the tamiya thinner I have been using for smoothing the Tamiya putty to fill the massive gaps in the plastic structures. I just dip the finger in and smooth it across the damo putty to make a much smoother finish that does not need much (if any sanding). 

[Egilman]

10 hours ago, popeye the sailor said:

you move fast........lots of really nice progress,  and the PE is great

He does move fast, lots of skill being shown, and the experience.... Man, some day I'll get there.... But right now, figuring out the PE is like climbing Mt Everest....